Illinois’ jobs market performance severely lagged the national average during 2019, growing at nearly half the rate of the rest of the nation, according to new data released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security in conjunction with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Orphe Divounguy and Bryce Hill with Illinois Policy report that while Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration touted 2019 as a success for jobs, Illinois’ jobs market continued to struggle during the governor’s first year in office.
During the year, preliminary December 2019 data shows that Illinois:
- Added 45,000 nonfarm payroll jobs for an increase of 0.7%, the slowest growth rate in the first year of any Illinois governor’s elected term since Rod Blagojevich in 2007
- Added jobs at the 32nd fastest rate in the nation (38th when not counting the public sector)
- Underperformed the national median in nearly every sector, actually shed jobs in five of 11 sectors and failed to grow the state’s labor force
- Ended the year with an unemployment rate higher than most neighboring states
One of the growth sectors was government employment, adding 13,400 jobs in 2019 to earn Illinois its highest ranking at No. 5 in the nation. But recent history makes clear that increased government spending and payrolls are not the solution to Illinois’ weak economy.
